Denture



Dec. 31, 1957 P. GLASSER 2,817,900

DENTURE Filed Sept. 13, 1956 1 FIG. 2

IN V EN TOR.

J E/ G/asser United States Patent DENTURE Philip Glasser, Bronx, N. Y.Application September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,666

(Zlaims. (Cl. 32-2) This invention relates to dentures and moreparticularly to dentures having shock absorbent characteristics.

It is an object of this invention to provide a shock absorbent denturewhich uniformly distributes the stresses it receives as a result ofchewing and other operations of the mouth and jaws of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an artificialdenture which resists absorption of odors and is easily cleaned.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shock absorbentdenture having a resilient cushion which is protected from deteriorationas a result of surrounding atmospheric conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shock absorbentartificial denture which prevents deterioration of the gum ridge withwhich it comes into contact.

Other and more specific objects of the present invention wil be apparentfrom the following description as read in connection with theaccompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partially cut away perspective view of one embodiment of thepresent invention shown in assembly;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of theinvention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the shock distributing support employedin the aforesaid form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows located near the ends of the saidline;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line 55 of Fig. 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows located near the ends of the saidline 5-5.

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, one form of theinvention may be embodied in an upper and lower set of artificialdentures comprising a lower base 10, engageable with the lower gumridge, a lower superstructure 11, having suitably formed artificiallower teeth, an upper superstructure 12, having suitably formedartificial upper teeth, and an upper base 13, engageable with the uppergum ridge. The aforesaid bases 10, 13 and superstructures 11, 12 may becomposed of conventional acrylic plastic material having an outersurface which permanently hardens upon exposure to a cool atmosphere anda resilient inner portion produced upon subjection to body temperatures.

As illustrated in Fig. 2., the lower base is provided with a pluralityof button posts 14 and locking posts 15, said posts 14, 15 beingengageable with corresponding apertures in the lower superstructure 11.When so engaged, these posts 14, 15 secure the lower base and lowersuperstructure against accidental dislocation although the said base andsuperstructure are capable of manual separation for cleaning purposes.The upper base 13 and upper superstructure 12 are also provided withsimilar button posts and locking posts engageable with similar aperturesin the same manner.

As appears in Fig. 3, the aforesaid posts 14, 15 are rigidly supportedupon a shock distribution member 16 comprising a pair of substantialyparallel curved strips 16a, 16b which are strengthened by anintermediate wire 17 arranged in a basket-weave or lattice-likeconformation. Exterior to the shock distribution member 16 there arealso located a plurality of closed wire loops 18. The aforesaid strips16a, 16b, intermediate wire. 17, loops 18 and posts 14, 15 arepreferably metallic in composition but may be constructed of anysubstantially rigid material.

The button posts 14 have a lower expanded portion 19 which is not onlysupported by the shock distribution member 16 but may also be anchoredwithin the acrylic plastic material of the upper and lower bases 10, 13,as illustrated in Fig. 4. The intermediate portion of the button posts14 comprises a vertical shank 20 terminating in a flat, expanded,elliptical, upper portion 21.

The locking posts 15 comprise a lower expanded portion 22, mounted andanchorable in the same manner as the button posts 14 and having arelatively thin intermediate portion 23 and a slightly expandedellipsoidal end portion 24.

The said posts 14, 15 are receivable within apertures 25 of theaforesaid superstructures 11, 12 and are removably secured therein bythe resilient action of the plastic material forming the walls of thesaid apertures 25. This retention is particularly effected by the actionof the resilient lip portions 25a of the apertures since said lipportions engage the intermediate portions of the posts 14, 15.

The apertures 25 extend into the interior portion of the upper and lowersuperstructures 11, 12 which remains in a soft and resilient conditiondue to the temperature of the mouth of the user. This resilientcondition is in contrast to the outer surfaces of the saidsuperstructures which are relatively hard because of their exposure tothe air as well as to water during cleaning operations. This hardnessalso exists, for the same reasons, throughout the relatively thin bases10, 13 due to their relatively thin cross-sections, and, as a result ofthis firm condition, the bases 10, 13 tend to preserve the conformationof the gum ridge of the user which would otherwise disappear if a softermaterial were used in contact therewith.

It is also to be noted that the hardness of the bases 10, 13 tends tomaintain intimate contact between the plastic material composing sameand the stress distribution member 16 which is embedded therein.

Moreover, the hardened plastic material resists the absorption ofobjectionable mouth odors and thereby protects the aforesaid resilientinner portion of the superstructures from such absorption and resultantdeterioration.

An important feature of this invention resides in the fact that theelliptical upper portion 21 of the button posts 14 are contactable withthe resilient plastic material within the superstructures 11, 12 therebyallowing stresses communicated to the artificial teeth 26 to beconcentrated upon the button posts 14 and thence transmitted to theshock distribution member 16 which, in turn, due to its lattice-likeconstruction and loops attached thereto, distributes the stressuniformly upon the gum ridge in contact with the bases 10, 13. Suchstress distribution serves to prevent harmful deterioration andabsorption of the bone structure underlying the gum ridge and alsoresults in added comfort to the user.

It is worthy of mention that the button posts 14 may be located underany of the artificial teeth comprised within the superstructures, asrequired by dental expediency. Locking posts 15 also serve as stressdistributing members but do not have as large an upper portion as thatof the button posts because they are located beneath teeth generallysubjected to lighter shock loads.

The foregoing discussion is not intended to imply that theinvention mustbe used with both upper and lower artificial dentures. On the contrary,the invention may be employed in either upper or lower dentures, orboth, as desired.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated and described hereinabovehave been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth theprinciples involved. It will be apparent, however, that the presentinvention is susceptible to being modified in respect to details ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resortedto without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States:

1. An improved artificial denture comprising in combination a base, asubstantially horizontal stress distribution member secured within saidbase and having a plurality of substantially vertical button posts andlocking posts mounted thereon, a superstructure removably engaged withsaid base and having a plurality of apertures whose internal peripheriesare in yieldable contact with the said button posts and locking posts.

2. An improved artificial denture according to claim 1, thesuperstructure having a substantially hard outer surface and a resilientinner portion, said resilient inner portion being contactable with theupper portions of the said button posts and locking posts when thesuperstructure is subjected to stress so as to transmit said stress tothe stress distribution member.

3. An improved artificial denture according to claim 2, the stressdistribution member comprising a pair of substantially parallel curvedstrips, a wire lattice structure intermediate the said strips andaffixed thereto, said strips having a plurality of wire loops exteriorthereof and affixed thereto.

4. An improved artificial denture according to claim 2, said buttonposts comprising an expanded lower portion atfixed to the said stressdistribution member, an intermediate shank portion and an upper expandedelliptical portion, said locking posts comprising an expanded lowerportion affixed to said stress distribution member, a relatively thinintermediate portion and a substantially ellipsoidal end portion.

5. An improved artificial denture according to claim 4, said apertureshaving a resilient lip portion adapted to engage the intermediateportions of the said button posts and locking posts.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 424,587Great Britain- Feb. 25, 1935

